Report: Orioles might go after Washburn

The Baltimore Orioles have expressed interest in the free-agent left-hander, according to a report by Jon Paul Morosi at FOXsports.com.

Washburn has said he is interested in pitching for the Mariners or the Twins, and hinted last week that he might retire if neither team signs him.

Morosi reported that the Orioles went after Erik Bedard, who signed with the Mariners over the weekend. Now they may have set their sights on one of the few veteran lefty starters remaining on the market.

“One major league source said that they have some interest in free agent left-hander Jarrod Washburn, but that his ‘price would have to drop pretty far’ in order for Baltimore to become a realistic destination,” Morosi reported.

Washburn, who was traded before the deadline last season by to Mariners to the Tigers, reportedly rejected a one-year, $5 million offer from the Twins last month. After the Mariners signed Bedard, it looked like Washburn was out of options. But the Orioles are proving there’s always a market for a capable left-handed starter.